


Red String

by Clarisse (transnymphtaire)



Series: Advent Calendar 2016 [19]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Deity, M/M, Ocean, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-09-09 22:15:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8915059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transnymphtaire/pseuds/Clarisse
Summary: Soulmates are tied together by a red string.





	

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone's curious, I rate most my fics with my brother in mind. He's 13, and if I would be uncomfortable with him reading something, then I put it as Teen And Up Audiences. As I'm the older sibling, and he'll forever be tiny in my mind, it means I might give higher ratings sometimes than needed. I'm also good at putting lower ratings, as I'm unsure when T goes to M. So yeah, feel free to tell me to change rating on anything.
> 
> Unbetaed.

According to the stories, a red string tie soulmates together. While no one doubts the existence of the thread, the ability to see it is extremely rare. Some say that they’ve seen their thread in moments of depression or hopelessness, when they needed it the most. Others say that they see it when they meet their soulmate for the first time.

Harry has always been able to see his. The red string is tied around his left little finger, and has no visible end. He has followed it countless times, as far as he could, and it always brings him to the ocean.

There’s something about the endless mass of water that calls to him, but he has always expected that it’s his soulmate on the other side. Then he grew older, and taller, and realised that just before the horizon, the red string disappear into the deep waters.

It’s slightly embarrassing how many times  _ does mermaid exists _ and  _ can my soulmate be a fish _ show up in his search history. At least his thread is only visible to him, and his parents are more than supportive when he express an interest in deep diving and surfing.

They even spend a summer in Australia so that Harry can experience the waves there. His red string seemed to dive down into the water closer to shore than it does back home in England, but he still failed to reach it.

That’s why he at 22 has bought a small fishing boat and is using it to travel the sea. The ocean has grown to be his home, and he has to know who or what is at the other end of his thread.

* * *

Harry has been out on the ocean for two days. He has food enough to last him five more days, though he might have to turn back to shore before then. The weather is supposed to be nice according to the weather app on his phone, but the dark clouds by the horizon does not look very promising. For now, the sun's still shining and he’s taking advantage of it while he can.

The nice thing with being alone in a boat out on the sea, with no one else within his line of sight, is that he can sunbathe in the nude. Harry is lying down on the deck, propped up on his elbows, a pair of sunglasses nestled into his tight curls, and  _ A Wizard of Earthsea _ open in front of him. He’s deeply invested in the book when there’s a splash next to the boat. He ignores it at first, but then there’s a second splash, and cold water hits his warm skin. Harry stands up quickly, and holds onto the railing of the boat as he looks down into the water.

He sees nothing at first, just the endless opaque turquoise of the water. Then the red string around his finger catches the light, and Harry automatically follows the thread with his eyes. It’s going directly down into the water, toward a darker mass that is quickly coming towards the surface. Harry stumbles back as it breaks through, and lands on his naked arse on the deck.

A body of water is towering over him, shape undistinguished at first but the water continuously twisting until he no longer feels threatened by what seemed to be an impending wave. Instead he’s staring in awe at the literal body made out of water, which is stepping onto his boat. Harry can feel his mouth open, or rather how his jaw drops, as the ethereal being steps closer.

“You’re really quite stubborn, mortal.” the being say with a voice like rippling water and a scowl etched into the lines of their face. Harry feels his jaw drop even more, if it’s at all possible. He feel as if he should say something, but then his glance fall on the red thread around the being’s finger, which bind them together. His mind completely blanks, and he think that he might faint. He certainly feel dizzy.

“I- What- You are-” Harry starts multiple sentence at once, but not one of them makes it completely out of his mouth. His jaw snaps together, putting a stop to the impression of a fish that he made earlier.

“Ever so intelligent, mortals are.” the being sighs. “I had expected more.”

“Well, excuse me for not knowing how to react in the presence of a water deity!” Harry snaps, at the same time as he belatedly realise that he’s completely nude. A closer look at the water deity show that he’s not alone, but he would have been more surprised if a deity made of water wore clothes.

His outbreak earn him a load of cold water dropped onto his head, making him shiver slightly until the sun starts warming him again. He hadn’t even noticed the deity manipulating the water, and can only assume that it had come from behind him. He shakes his head, much like a dog would - a habit picked up from his godfather - and look down to see how much water is on the deck of his boat. His eyes land on the book he was reading earlier, thankfully safe from the water. Harry picks it up and puts it away before it can get damaged.

“You’re pretty rude.” Harry bites out, as the deity doesn’t deign say anything. The surface of their face ripple as they smile condescendingly.

“I’m not the one pursuing a deity far beyond my own worth.”

“I didn’t expect to find a deity! I thought maybe my soulmate was in a submarine!” Harry shouts back. He hopes the deity will never find his search history, as it took an embarrassing long time for him to remember that submarines exist and that they have people in them.

“You didn’t. Now return home.”

“What makes you think I was even looking for you, huh?” Harry demands, too annoyed to consider that it might be a bad idea. “Maybe I like fishing! Maybe I’m just taking some time off!  _ You _ have  _ nothing _ to do with my love for the ocean.”

The deity breaks out into yet another smile, and Harry is awfully reminded of shark teeth this time.

“But I  _ am _ the ocean.”

Harry doesn’t know what to say to that. He indirectly confessed his love to the water deity that is his soulmate. Not even the most horrid romantic comedy would be able to come up with anything like that.

“You can call me Tom, if you prefer.” the deity offer, and gracefully sit down with legs crossed on the deck. Harry find himself at a loss for words, but follow the example of sitting down.

“Thank you?” Harry answer, not sure if a name is a good thing in this case or not. He has to bite his tongue to not comment on the fact that the ethereal deity, the ocean, is using a simple name as Tom. “I’m Harry.” he adds, realising that he should have been the first to introduce himself, not the other way around. Though… Tom was the one to approach him.

“So! Harry. Nice to meet you. Do you have an offering to me?” Tom leers, looking around the boat that obviously lack anything worthy, before slowly contemplating Harry’s nude body, no subtlety at all. Harry considers throwing  _ A Wizard of Earthsea _ at Tom’s head, but he’s not sure it wouldn’t pass through and get ruined.

“Why would I have any offering to you? I didn’t exactly plan on having you on my boat!”

“Who's the one being rude?” Tom tuts. “It’s only proper that you offer up yourself if you have nothing else.”

Harry pointedly rise his left hand, the red string glinting in the sun. The moment is only broken by the distant sound of thunder. He pivots around to look toward the horizon; the dark clouds are coming closer and they’re now accompanied by lightning.

“I can give your boat a push toward shore.” Tom offers. “Though it will cost you.”

There’s another crack of thunder followed by a flash of lightning as Harry watches the storm.

“You get me to shore, and I’ll pay whatever you want. I don’t exactly fancy drowning.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t let you drown, darling. You’re rather entertaining for a mortal. All that fire inside you.” Tom say, and waves a hand to get the boat moving. “Maybe you’re a good fit for a soulmate after all.”

Harry doesn’t know if he should feel flattered or not. He has trouble enough with Tom’s sudden change in mood.

“What do you want then?” he asks, because that’s a rather good thing to know. In hindsight, offering a deity whatever they want sound like a bad idea.

Tom leers at him again.   
“Your fire. I want to extinguish it, to destroy you.”

Harry gulps. He looks towards the impending storm, which is moving quicker over the ocean. The boat is already moving towards shore anyway, so it’s not like he can change his mind.

“Deal.”

The ocean seem even wilder after that.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a product of my obsession with Moana, and my life long love for the ocean. Also, deities are really cool.
> 
> Fun fact: I loved Earthsea before I loved Harry Potter, though mainly because I owned that book series first. I really should get that series in English...


End file.
